As in any school, Cardozo High School has their own rules that staff and students must abide by. When people do not follow the rules, there are consequences for them—no matter where they are in life. At Cardozo, the “No Go List” is a way to keep track of students who break the rules and gives them a way to be accountable for their mistakes.
The No Go List is for students that break rules such as violating the dress code, getting caught in hall sweeps, not wearing their student ID, and students that come into school late—after 10 a.m. on a consistent basis.
Being on this list prevents students from participating in activities—such as going to sports games or on trips. When you are on the list you are not allowed to go to any of the school events taking place at Cardozo or that represent the school.
The reason that the No Go List was started was because of students not following the rules and not getting any consequences. The school administration was thinking that this was a good way to prepare students for the real world.
“You can’t go anywhere in the world without a form of ID. We try to come at it with a source of protection as a high school student,” explained Ms. EJ, dean, Gateway advisor, and teacher. “When something happens outside of school and you don’t have an ID it can be very problematic.”
However, all hope is not lost. Students can get off of the No Go List. To get off of the list, students have to talk to Ms. EJ to see how they can fix their infraction that you have received.
To get off of the list, students have to do things like TA for a teacher that you don’t know, volunteer to be a greeter in the morning when students come into school, help with the new composting program in the lunchroom, cleaning up the lunchroom, or even tutoring in the library.
The No Go List started off with seniors, because administration believes they are the ones that are supposed to be setting the examples with how students should act in school. If the younger students see the older kids acting one way, they are going to follow them.
These rules are not only for the seniors, though, they are going to be for the rest of the school as well.
This list is truly for students to start following the rules and prepare them for when they have to be in the real world. It’s a true lesson that if you do not follow the rules, there will be consequences. According to the staff, they only want everyone to be safe while in the school building on a daily basis.